This is by far my favorite read by Jesse Q. Sutanto! I thought it was a great and unique story. The story has a fake dating aspect to it but with a little bit of a twist. The interactions between the characters seemed genuine. They were funny and loveable. Plus this book is set in Indonesia! I have never read a book set there before and I was all for it. I would love to read more books set there. I liked how Sharlot showed the American view of other countries based on assumptions. I thought that was very realistic and I liked that the author included that.

My one complaint about this book is that I felt personally attacked by it! The characters said 27-year-olds are basically ancient! How dare they call me ancient?!? HAHA! It did make me laugh though but made me feel so old and attacked by these fictional characters.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Book received for free through NetGalley

Read 37% of the way into this book but kept starting and stopping and ultimately forgot about it. Figured it was better to review as is. It was written well just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a slog to get through. This book provided bland characters, a plot both unbelievable and boring, terrible dialogue, and cringe-inducing romance. While aspects of the premise were appealing (who doesn't love a good fake dating story?), how they were carried out left much to be desired.

Following the story of Sharlot, taken to Indonesia by a mother after a near-miss with a scandal, and George, under pressure during a time of great publicity before an important event for his family, nothing about the plot was compelling. Even moments of supposed suspense or romance produced nothing but yawns.

As for the characters themselves, bleh. Sharlot in particular seemed almost like a parody of herself, at one moment blushing and stuttering with George but constantly bursting out with frustrated feminist declarations. Hardly any character traits or development showed up beyond these showy statements. I have almost nothing to say about George because he had no characteristics beyond "Hey, I'm a nice hot guy!"

A small development late in the story (70%) provided some very small relief from the tedium, but that development was dropped almost as suddenly as it was brought up, aside from a tiny mention at the very end.

I found it difficult to keep track of which chapters were from Sharlot or George's perspectives because their inner monologues were the. Exact. Same. And not in a good way.
1.5/5 with the extra .5 for the representation of Indonesian culture (especially the food!) and the small development. I regret having requested my early copy of this book.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours + Netgalley for providing me with this arc.

This book was a cute and quick read that I absolutely adored. The book was a perfect mix of humor and drama.

Overall there were many things I enjoyed about this book. In addition to the humor, I loved the characters and the development of them. I also found myself loving the side characters just as much as the main characters if not more. The pacing was also great for the majority of the book. The author's descriptors made the book easy to follow and picture.

In terms of things I didn't enjoy, I thought that the ending was rushed and could've better tied in with the beginning as some things didn't seem to connect. To keep this spoiler free, I will include it on goodreads with a flag closer to review date. This also ties in to how the author has decided to foreshadow different plot points in the book, as it seemed rather anticlimactic.

Lastly since I understand this is an arc and this edited but there were points where the adjective was repeated multiple times within a couple of paged which ruined the flow but it happen only in a small section at the beginning of the book and didn't bother be much.

In the end I would recommend this book for someone who wants a laugh out loud book and lovely characters you can get behind.

I love Jesse Q Sutanto as an author and this book is a great example of how she can write a book *without* murder. (Though I love her even more when she's writing about murder)

This is a cute catfishing gone right romcom that also takes us on a tour of Indonesia. Sharlot definitely has some culture shock going from LA to overseas, but the country begins to grow on her (and the audience). The book is full of her trademark humor and adventure, from whitewater rafting to avoiding the paparazzi. Not to mention the chemistry between George and Sharlot, it's just so dang CUTE!

*Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook ARC of this cute YA novel. I enjoyed reading about the different aspects of Indonesian culture entwined in the catfish turned love story. I also enjoyed some of the crazy family behavior that was also found in the authors other books- Dial A for Aunties. Overall, a sweet story with some fun antics!

This was really cute.

I really enjoyed Dial A For Aunties and Four Aunties and a Wedding, so I knew I had to read this one. I found some of the same humor from those books that made me laugh out loud so much.

Shar lives with her mom in LA. Her mom left Indonesia when she was young and never went back. Shar was dating her boyfriend for awhile and decided it was time to have sex. But she freaked out and stopped it before it happened. Her mom walked in, freaked out, and decided they were spending the summer in Indonesia. Shar was not happy. Her mom never talked about her life there and Shar figured it was pretty bad. She wants to hate the country, but she finds herself pulled in. She became close friends with her cousin Kiki. Indonesia was nothing like she thought it was by what was always shown in the US.

George's family is extremely rich and well known in Indonesia. George is helping out with an app for his family business. It's supposed to help with how boys treat girls and how people excuse the boys behavior and makes the girl the villain. He's excited and nervous. While watching porn and masturbating, George's dad started to walk in. George was able to minimize the screen, but it was a game with animals up. His little sister Eleanor walked in right after. They were disgusted that George would be excited by cartoon animals. They both decide he needs help so that he's not a loser.

While both families thought they were doing something good to help their kids, both actually did something pretty awful. George's dad and Eleanor found a girl on the country's version of instagram. They messaged her pretending to be George. But Shar's mom got the messages and messaged back as Shar. They were both really weird and proper, but decided to meet up for a date. Shar was pissed and didn't want to be around this boy that acted like women belong married and in the kitchen. When George met her, he couldn't understand how this was the same girl whose hobby was cooking like a proper wife to be. Because of the public life of George, people saw them together and freaked out. Their parents decided that they should pretend to date until the launch of the app. Both kids spend time together in Bali and start liking each other a lot. But neither will come clean and both feel guilty all the time. Their families are always involved and things get to be an even bigger mess.

I loved Shar and George together, but I was annoyed by the secrets. My favorites were Kiki and Eleanor though. They had me laughing all the time and I'm glad they were big parts of the book. I also enjoyed a look into a country I don't know much about even though my dad spent a month working there when I was 15. He never really talked about it and when he did, it wasn't all positive. I was happy to see that there is so much to that country even though the outlook on LGBTQ was still bad.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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First off, this is one of the cutest YA romances that I have read. I absolutely LOVED the cover and all of the fun colors on it! I feel like it just draws you into the book! I absolutely adored the characters in this book and how much they grew throughout the story. I think the author did such a great job paying homage to Indonesia and ‘showing’ the readers everything that Indonesia has to offer. I absolutely loved the love story between George and Sharlot and felt like they were such cute characters that grew up a lot throughout the book. The relationship was so heartwarming and you couldn’t help but root for the two of them. Overall, this is such a cute story and Sutanto is such a wonderful author who will just bring a smile to your face throughout her novels!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Ok, this was super cute! The cover drew me in and I loved how both characters were caught in embarrassing situations by their family members. I would DIE!!

The following part from the summary really sealed it for me and I knew I was going to be hooked, "To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children."

Cute YA romance set in Indonesia. I loved how Sharlot was able to experience her mother's native land and get to learn about herself, her culture, and her mother. And even how wrong Sharlot's perception of Indonesia was. We need more of this!

Lovable characters. Seriously, I want a book written about Eleanor and Kiki. All of the family is pretty fun, but they also have their flaws and I love how they're explored in this book.

I'm a sucker for banter between main characters and some of my favorite tropes are in this book.

Got an eArc on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review Well, That Was Unexpected. I am providing my honest feedback in exchange.

This book was everything I love in a story. Once I began reading, I could not put it down. I loved the peek into a country and culture I’ve not visited before, and I would love the opportunity now to experience myself. The story of George and Sharlot was heartwarming, and I fell in love with them. I awwwww’d, rolled my eyes, and laughed out loud as they stumbled their way to each other despite the interference of their families. I also loved the unexpected plot twist with Sharlot’s mother, and appreciated the inclusivity in the midst of a less accepting culture. I cannot say enough good things about this gem. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year.

This book was the perfect mix of wit and culture. Sharlot is an Indonesian American that is whisked away to Jakarta for the summer after her mom catches her about to have sex with her boyfriend. George Clooney has his dad and little sister walk in on him masturbating to a gnome video game. Of course, there’s more to the story but they go through the epitome of teen embarrassment and as a result their family catfishes each other online and it leads to a fake dating relationship.

This book is the perfect book to share with a teen in your life. It discusses LGBTQ+ issues in a real world - culturally relevant way, it discusses the seriousness of consent and sex, and it also gives a history lesson on Indonesia. It does all this while still being light-hearted and fun.

Jesse Sutanto will always bring me joy with her writing.

Jesse Q. Sutanto successfully tackles any genre she writes. The author of Dial A for Aunties delivers with this funny, endearing YA rom com. Fake dating and Indo family dynamics and hijinks- this book teaches as much as it entertains.

I'd love to interview Jesse Q. Sutanto for my podcast Raise Your Words. Sharlot and George are hilarious together. I loved reading this book and had so much fun. Their parents pretend to be each other and when they find out they're mortified.If you love reading about meddlesome families, you're going to NEED a copy of Well, That Was Unexpected. Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of one of my highly anticipated books.

When Sharlot’s mom walks in on her shirtless with her boyfriend, she decides the two will be spending the summer back in Indonesia. Meanwhile, when George’s father walks in on him masturbating, he knows he needs to take big strides to get his son back on the right path. Both parents are reeling, but they know what they need to do. Find the perfect match for their child. Little do they know they are talking to each other. When the kids are forced to meet and go on a date, neither wants to be there with their very traditional date.as they are forced to get to know each other though…

Jesse Q Sutanto is for sure an auto-buy author for me. Adult, YA, she could write a cook book and I would read it. I just adored this book. First of all, George Clooney? Eleanor Roosevelt? These names had me dying. In true Sutanto writing, the laughs just kept coming! I really liked that Sharlot discusses her expectations when going to Indonesia with George. I found it really down to earth that her stereotypes were shared. Overall the characters just felt completely relatable. You were on the awkward first date, you felt the dislike of each other, and you lived her feeling out of place in this country she was tied to but had never been to. I just loved every second of this book!

This laugh-out-loud hilarious twist on fake dating, coupled with a love letter to Indonesia is absolutely perfect and utterly relatable for teens, starting with the very first paragraph. This book will definitely brighten anyone's day to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful book to preview.

Sharlot is just a typical Indo girl growing up in California when her mom walks in on her about to have sex with her then boyfriend Bradley.

Shar's mom does what every Indo mom would do, rush her off to Jakarta for the summer. At first Sharlot is horrified and very upset her mother has whisked her off to this foreign country, but she begins to soften as she learns about her heritage and more about her mom.

George Clooney is a typical Indo rich kid. Think Crazy Rich Asian. His family is very wealthy, but George is just getting by in life when his dad and little sister walk in on him in a precarious situation. After much shame, his dad decides to set him with on a dating app. Little did he know Shar's mom was doing the same thing with her.

Super cute story and I love the representation. I wanted to book a flight to Indonesia. I give it a solid 4.5.

Well, what was not unexpected was me enjoying this book! Lots of funny and heartfelt moments. George was honestly a delight. His exasperation and resignation with his dad, sister and the rest of his family (who were just fantastic) was so funny. It took me a bit to warm up to Sharlot. I understand that she was frustrated with her mother and the situation she was in, but she was downright hostile to everyone for most of the book. It was a little much at times. Also, the trope of teenagers being upset about their families making them travel to another city/country instead of staying home always bothers me just a bit. I would have LOVED to go to Bali as a teenager!
And speaking of Bali, having just gone there earlier this month actually, I enjoyed reading about a few familiar things, specifically the food! But anyway, I did love how Sharlot and her mom finally connected towards the end and understood each other better. I did feel like the conflict got resolved a little too quickly and the ending felt very abrupt, but other than that, the pacing of the book was really well done. The romance was a nice, gradual slow burn. Overall, this was a pretty cute book that also dealt with a few really important issues. Also, I’d love a sequel of Kiki and Eleanor taking over the world, please.
TW: slut shaming, homophobia, racism

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down.

The author describes this as “a love story with meddlesome aunties and uncles and lots of coffee!” and that’s a fair description. For me, it gets off to a bumpy start but turns into a sweet YA romance and definitely had me looking at trips to Indonesia.

Californian Sharlot meets up with George in Jakarta through some convoluted and unlikely plotting which I got a little impatient with. They are both Indonesian Chinese: Sharlot’s mother fled Indonesia when she was 18 and this is the first time that she and Sharlot have been back. George is part of the incredibly wealthy and successful Tanuwijaya family and is on the verge of launching his first app. Hints of a junior Crazy Rich Asians? A little.

As they (and we) get to know each other better, the novel slips into a comfortable light-footed rhythm and we can all enjoy experiencing Jakarta, Bali, and Indonesian food, albeit from a very rich person’s perspective. I think the author does a terrific job with her characters: Sharlot and George are delightful and the supporting cast, particularly George’s sister Eleanor and Sharlot’s cousin Kiki as well as all the meddlesome aunties and uncles, add to the fun.

So, come for the unusual setting, unchallenging romance, and smiles if not laughs, and don’t let the clunky set up put you off.

Thanks to Delacorte and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

After Sharlot Citra gets caught in a compromising position by her mother, she is whisked away to her mother's native Indonesia to reconnect with the family she's never met and the roots she's never connected with. Her mother believes this is going to be exactly what the two of them need. At the same time, George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father can't seem to figure out how to connect with his son and takes matters into his own hands. The two parents end up catfishing each other using the kids' social media accounts which leads to a hilarious rom-com adventure in this beautiful love letter to Indonesia.

We've all heard about it. Catfishing. Someone pretends to be someone they aren't online, usually to trick someone into dating them. Well, in this case, you have George's father messaging Sharlot's social media account pretending to be George. What he doesn't know is that on the other end is Sharlot's mother pretending to be Sharlot. This is the kind of stuff that you can't make up...unless, of course, you are Jesse Q. Sutanto who literally did make it up.

This story was up there with the extravagance of Crazy Rich Asians but with the same themes of family, reconnecting with your roots, and finding yourself. There were some expected cringey moments when reading through the messages George's father and Sharlot's mother send as their respective child, when the two meet for the first time in person, when George's family interferes...there are a good handful of cringey moments and, somehow, it all works so well.

Following along with George and Sharlot is like the slowest slow burn that ever slow burned. The dual POV adds to the frustration you feel as the reader because you know the secret they are each keeping from the other. Somehow, it all works and doesn't make you want to throw the book across the room (and trust me, I absolute hate slow burn).

I had such a blast reading this story. There were moments that had me laughing out loud, moments that made me cringe (at the characters and the memories of my own teenage years), moments that reminded me how important it was to understand where I came from. The story takes place primarily in Indonesia and it was beautiful to watch Sharlot learn about her heritage and culture. It was truly a love letter to the author's native Indonesia and made me want to plan my own trip (to Indonesia as well as to my native China) soon.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Jesse Q. Sutanto does it again! I’ve read 2 other books by her and this one did not disappoint.
Well, That Was Unexpected is a cute story about 2 teenagers whose parents chat to one another on an app pretending to be the two main characters, Sharlot and George.
I found it interesting to learn about the Indonesian culture throughout the story and also appreciated the giggles while reading.